Current practice in the art of cervical spinal fusion is to use a cervical plate which secures adjacent vertebrae. These systems typically use multiple screws which attach the vertebrae body and occasionally bone graft to the plate. The surgeon decides upon the spatial orientation through manipulations, and then affixes the securing plate. Plates are generally designed to place 2 screws into each vertebra body. Some plates allow the screw(s) to be placed in only one or in up to a maximum of four unique locations per body. The screws are prevented from “backing out” or becoming removed from the plate by various locking or blocking means. Plate and screw combinations allow for screws to be placed at a fixed or variable angle relative to the plate. A few plates allow for a dynamic settling of the vertebrae bodies by allowing screws positioned in adjacent vertebra bodies to approach. This is accomplished by either allowing the screws to slide within the plate or by allowing the plate to compress in a telescopic manner.